The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for animation in a movie system and more particularly to a method and apparatus for achieving smooth animation effects by selectively decoupling space and time constraints. Programmed computer systems can be used to create, edit, and display movies. Such systems often provide the user with the ability to animate graphics elements by causing them to move or change over time. An example of a program for such a system is After Effects, available from Adobe Systems Incorporated of Mountain View, Calif. Using such systems, a user can create a movie by importing footage such as images, digitized video, or photographs. Each piece of footage is placed into a layer and each layer has properties associated with it such as position, color, opacity, rotation, and size. The user can animate a layer by changing the values of its properties over time. For example, a user can make a layer move across a screen, change color, rotate, or change size.